Immunization monitoring of students starting school: a regional contribution from the Bavaria district

Abstract

The aim of these sectional studies was to find out current mass immunisation rates of school beginners. The study was carried out in the administrative district of Dingolfing-Landau in 1999, also to examine to what extent the recommendations to the STIKO (Established Immunisation Committee at the Robert Koch-Institute) for the corresponding age-group had been complied with. To this end, the vaccination documents submitted at the medical examination were inspected, the given data recorded in a standardised way and subsequently rendered anonymous. According to the available results the mass immunisation rates for diptheria, tetanus and polio met the infection epidemiology requirements by over 90%. The HiB, MMR and whooping cough vaccinations were in on the average 80% for mass immunisation, which no longer meets the epidemiological requirements. BCG inoculation was only given to every tenth child in the relevant age group. A positive aspect was the comparatively high immunisation rate of almost 50% on hepatitis B immunisation. Only one child in twenty in the relevant age group had the full immunisation protection recommended by STIKO. Due to the great acceptance and willingness to co-operate on the part of the parents/legal guardians the review of the immunisation status through the Childrens and Young People's Public Health Authority (KJGD) made it possible to establish the current mass immunisation rate for children of one birth year. In this way, it will be possible by means of relevant immunisation recommendations and immunisation strategies to close the immunisation gaps and raise the mass immunisation rates.